Re: kitties... In my experience, there are some cats that are just not meant to be indoor-only critters. They climb the walls (occasionally literally), or are miserably sulky, etc. This number, though, tends to be overestimated by the general public. There are a lot more people who assume that their cat needs outdoor time than their are cats that actually do.
This is... sort of a soapbox issue with me. People have a tendency to assume that Fluffy's life is incomplete without the chance to play outside, and then equally assume that he's going to be reasonably safe out there because, hey, he's a cat. A lot of nasty stuff happens to cats who could otherwise have been perfectly happy inside. By contrast, very few people think it's a good idea to turn their dog out to roam freely and get in touch with his inner wolf. (Not that cats are just small dogs; I have a couple of professors who'd have my head for even suggesting that one. *g*) The main point is, your average domestic cat has no more idea how to avoid roads and toxins and predators than any other pet, and it's important to weigh that up against how much their quality of life is impacted by being kept inside. The happiest medium I know of is to get your cat used to having some regular supervised time outside with you, if you've got a good spot for it. It's not the end of the world by any stretch, though, if you don't.
The vast majority of cats do enjoy getting to poke around outside, yes, but most of them don't require it to be happy and healthy. They do all need entertainment, to greater and lesser extents, and that's usually where you come in. If your kitty would be alone often, it's probably smart to invest in some interactive toys that he or she can play with. It's also great to schedule in some playtime whenever you're home, so that it becomes a standard activity for you.
Cat selection is also pretty important here. I wouldn't try to convert a cat that has previously been outdoors to an indoor-only setup; as in most things, cats aren't always big fans of change. In this respect, a kitten or an indoor-only adult might be the way to go. Kittens are adorable, but definitely harder to deal with in general. They often take about a year to really settle down and lose that manic kitten energy, but then, some people are really entertained by that, so... *shrug* YMMV, pretty much. Both of my cats were somewhere between 6 months to a year old when I got them, which was great because they already had their personalities figured out and I knew going in that they were cuddlemonkeys.
Wow, that turned into a lot of words. Sorry. Once you get all the beginning stuff sorted out, though, cats are pretty low-maintenance. So long at they've got food, water, clean litter, and your attention, they're good. *g*
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This is... sort of a soapbox issue with me. People have a tendency to assume that Fluffy's life is incomplete without the chance to play outside, and then equally assume that he's going to be reasonably safe out there because, hey, he's a cat. A lot of nasty stuff happens to cats who could otherwise have been perfectly happy inside. By contrast, very few people think it's a good idea to turn their dog out to roam freely and get in touch with his inner wolf. (Not that cats are just small dogs; I have a couple of professors who'd have my head for even suggesting that one. *g*) The main point is, your average domestic cat has no more idea how to avoid roads and toxins and predators than any other pet, and it's important to weigh that up against how much their quality of life is impacted by being kept inside. The happiest medium I know of is to get your cat used to having some regular supervised time outside with you, if you've got a good spot for it. It's not the end of the world by any stretch, though, if you don't.
The vast majority of cats do enjoy getting to poke around outside, yes, but most of them don't require it to be happy and healthy. They do all need entertainment, to greater and lesser extents, and that's usually where you come in. If your kitty would be alone often, it's probably smart to invest in some interactive toys that he or she can play with. It's also great to schedule in some playtime whenever you're home, so that it becomes a standard activity for you.
Cat selection is also pretty important here. I wouldn't try to convert a cat that has previously been outdoors to an indoor-only setup; as in most things, cats aren't always big fans of change. In this respect, a kitten or an indoor-only adult might be the way to go. Kittens are adorable, but definitely harder to deal with in general. They often take about a year to really settle down and lose that manic kitten energy, but then, some people are really entertained by that, so... *shrug* YMMV, pretty much. Both of my cats were somewhere between 6 months to a year old when I got them, which was great because they already had their personalities figured out and I knew going in that they were cuddlemonkeys.
Wow, that turned into a lot of words. Sorry. Once you get all the beginning stuff sorted out, though, cats are pretty low-maintenance. So long at they've got food, water, clean litter, and your attention, they're good. *g*